My friend Shaun Frenté is screening the Japanese classic “Funeral Parade of Roses” this Wednesday at Show Cave in LA—now the greatest venue in the city!
Funeral Parade of Roses (Bara no soretsu)
Black and White. 1969. Japan. 105 minutes.
Directed by Toshio MatsumotoUnequivocally the best Japanese 60s avant-pop tranny tragedy I’ve seen, Funeral Parade of Roses is a must-see time capsule (I only wish the future Thetans who sift through my ashes hope this is what the 20th century is all about). Part self-conscious art film, part exploitation film, and part gonzo documentary on Tokyo’s underground scene – though where the zones overlap is up for grabs. Even on DVD, the black and white dazzles, as one quotable image supplants another. If you’re into the whole Asian catholic schoolgirl ladyboy thing, and who isn’t anymore, this is the jackpot.
Pithy introduction and discussion following the screening – this is part one in our run of “New Waves” around the world.